Our conversation is light as we drive back to his place, laughing about things Gigi said, and Luke complimenting the food, noticeably leaving out the steaks. I don’t blame him. They were well done—heavy on thewell.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks when I turn into the parking lot of his apartment complex.
“Yeah,” I say. I thought I did a decent job of being normal on the drive, but once again, Luke has seen right through it. “It’s been a long week, that’s all.”
He nods. “Yes, it has.”
I pull up in front of his place and put the car in park.
“Thanks for letting me come to family dinner,” he says.
“I think you’re invited to them forever, according to Gigi,” I say, and he chuckles.
We fall silent, both of us looking forward, the hum of the air-conditioning filling the quiet. I vacillate between wanting to get home and wanting to stay just like this.
Luke leans toward me. Just a little. He reaches over, brushing a finger lightly down my arm. “Claire, I—”
I close my eyes and keep my head forward. I know if I look at him, if I turn my face even the slightest bit in his direction, I won’t be able to look away; I won’t be able to stop what happens next.
Having Luke with my family—I’ve never gotten to that part. I’ve never brought someone home. When I invited Luke, I was worried about how everyone else would act around him. What I didn’t realize was how much it would cost me to have him there. How much it would hurt to find out I didn’t know how badly I wanted something until I finally had it.
“We should probably figure out a start time for tomorrow,” I say, my voice coming out almost normal. But not quite.
It’s silent again, and this time the air between us is heavy and weighted.
I see him nod in my periphery. “Right,” he says. “Common Ground? Around ten?” Then he opens the car door.
“Okay,” I say.
He turns back just before getting out. “See you tomorrow, Archie.”
I look at him then, now that he’s leaving. His lips are pulled up slightly, the smile tinged with something like hurt.
He gets out and shuts the door, and I pull away, watching him get smaller and smaller in my rearview mirror as I leave.
When I get to my apartment, I don’t go inside. I sit in my car and just think about the night.
I like Luke.
No. That’s not enough. I’mfallingfor Luke. I think I have been for a while. Maybe longer than I want to admit.
And there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m trapped. The only way to know if this is real is to kiss him, and if it’s not, then that’s the end. I would lose this version of him—this infuriating man who sees me like I’ve never been seen, and flirts, and smiles, and touches me because he wants to.
All the other men I’ve dated and kissed have just been pawns in my attempt to break the curse. If I let Luke kiss me, it would be the first time it actually means something. The first time I’d actually want it.
So I can’t risk losing it.
Chapter 23
PR Tip #31:The best strategies are born under pressure.
On Monday morning, I sit in the passenger seat of Luke’s car as we drive to Silverline, armed with an idea that we hope will work. Because we’re going to need it.
The statement definitely slowed things down over the weekend, but the pressure is back in full force today. Tessa has been sending me new posts since dawn—more information people have put together, some of it accurate, some of it absolutely made up.
It doesn’t matter, because the narrative about the staged breakup is back, and it’s louder than it was before. People continue to feel duped and manipulated.
Luke and I met at Common Ground on Saturday, worked as long as we could before our brains were too tired to think anymore, then continued on Sunday before landing on what we have. The only problem is the more I’ve thought about it, the more I don’t think Victoria will like it.
